Melaka

Melaka, Malaysian state on the southern coast of the Malay Peninsula, on the Strait of Malacca, bordered by Negeri Sembilan to the north and Johor to the south. Melaka is a small state, consisting of a limited area round the city of Melaka. The area is about 1,650 sq km (637 sq mi).

Melaka State was formerly the seat of the important and powerful Kingdom of Malacca. Seized in 1511 by the Portuguese mariner Afonso de Albuquerque, Melaka fell briefly under Dutch rule in 1641, and was controlled by Great Britain from 1795 to 1802 and again from 1811 to 1818. After a brief spell of renewed Dutch control, the British acquired Melaka again in 1824, incorporating it into the Straits Settlements in 1826 with Pinang and Singapore, from which it became part of the Federation of Malaya and later Malaysia. Rubber cultivation and export are of particular importance to the state’s economy. Population 582,000 (1997 estimate).